


I'll Never Leave You Again

by shippasfuxk



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AU, Childhood Friends, F/F, Family, Love, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:21:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29306421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shippasfuxk/pseuds/shippasfuxk
Summary: "I don't go by Antoinette anymore, my friends call me Toni.""Oh. Then Toni."Or, the AU where Toni and Cheryl were childhood friends who were split when Toni's got put in the foster system, ending up on the other side of town. When Toni starts at Riverdale High, they finally get to see each other again.Toni won't ever leave Cheryl again, and Toni won't let her.Toni means it, and when Cheryl goes missing she has to find her.
Relationships: Cheryl Blossom & Toni Topaz, Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29





	I'll Never Leave You Again

Cheryl can't believe her eyes. What is Antoinette Topaz doing in Riverdale High?

Antoinette left Riverdale wordlessly when they were just kids. Or at least that's what her mother told her. So how the hell did she end up back here?

Cheryl struggles to not let her shock show when she meets Antoinette's eyes.

Toni doesn't even try to keep the shock off of her face. Her jaw drops slightly and she stands up straight. That can't be the same redhead she knew when she was six years old, can it? Cheryl Blossom, after all this time?

Toni quickly closes her mouth when she sees that Cheryl isn't as happy to see her. The redhead marches down the stairs with a group of angry Riverdale townies behind her and Toni can see everyone tense up. 

While this girl Veronica is trying to keep the peace between the South and North-Siders, Cheryl clearly doesn't care much about that. She yells some nonsense about how everyone from the Southside is unintelligent and will ruin their academics, and Toni feels the need to defend herself. 

"Why don't you come over here and say that to my face?" She puffs her chest and crosses her arms.

Cheryl's face lights up in an evil smile, almost as if she's happy to bicker with Toni, "Happily, Queen of the buskers!" her heels click and in a few quick steps, she's looking down at Toni with an evil smirk that looks out of place on her face. At least to Toni it does, everyone else seems accustomed to this behavior.

Veronica stops them so the fight doesn't get any further, and most of the students surrounding them scatter to go to class. Toni looks around and gets in the check in line behind Sweet Pea and Fangs. 

"That girl was kind of rude, Tiny." Sweet Pea whispers and Fangs quickly nods his head in agreement. 

"Yeah, even weirder...I used to know that girl." Toni whispers, "she wasn't ever as mean when we were little kids. Her and her brother Jason were like my best friends until I got stuck living with my Uncle." Toni explains and the boys look at her with raised eyebrows. 

"You were friends with the Blossom family? Like, the richest family in Riverdale?" Fangs asks and Toni just shrugs, "I guess so. I just never thought of it like that..we were kids and I never knew."

The conversation stops when Fangs steps up to get his class schedule, and of course Cheryl is just as rude to him. Toni finds herself nervous to step up next and get her locker from Cheryl, "An-"

"Antoinette Topaz, I know your name." Cheryl rolls her eyes and Toni finds herself blushing while Cheryl looks down at the paper.

"So you do remember me, then?" Toni asks and Cheryl nods, "Well unfortunately I don't have the privilege of just forgetting people and leaving them behind like you did." Cheryl snaps and Toni actually flinches at her words. 

"Forget people? What are you-"

"Here's your schedule. Your locker is conveniently right next to mine. It's that way." Cheryl points down the hall, yet avoids looking at Cheryl by flicking through the papers on the table. Toni scoffs and leaves to walk in the direction Cheryl pointed. 

"It doesn't look like you two will be friends again anytime soon." Sweet Pea bumps into Toni. 

"Yeah, it seems like she really hates me. But I don't know why." Toni looks at the numbers on the lockers as she passes by, hoping she doesn't run into Cheryl again. 

-

With Toni's luck, she gets lost on her way to her second class, and the only seat left open in History is the one next to Cheryl. 

Cheryl rolls her eyes and when Toni takes the seat next to her, she moves her chair as far away as she can. 

Unfortunately for the both of them, their teacher makes them for in partners, "Ms Blossom, why don't you actually work with your partner instead of pretending she doesn't exist?" 

Cheryl groans and mumbles something that Toni can't quite catch.

"Okay Antoinette, just do what I do, god knows your Southside education won't be helpful." Cheryl looks at her as if she can't even read, and gets to work.

Toni just bites her tongue and does the work by herself.

After a few minutes of working in silence, the teacher calls the class back together. Toni crosses her arms and leans back in her chair. She's jealous that Fangs and Sweet Pea re making friends with their new classmates, while Toni is left to sit with a girl who hates her, and she doesn't even know why. 

Cheryl used to be her best friend when they were kids. Toni can remember Jason, Cheryl, and herself would always meet at the bus stop and go on adventures. Toni showed the twins how to take the bus to Pop's, and she remembers they used to rush back when Cheryl's parents called and asked where they were. 

Toni and Cheryl were more of best friends than Jason, who was kind of geeky, but Toni always liked having him around.

Cheryl used to sleep over her house all the time, her parents barely batted an eye when they saw Cheryl come home with Toni nearly every day of the week.

The only fight they ever had was when they were 10 and Toni hung out with a boy instead of Cheryl one Friday night, the night they always had sleepovers. Toni can remember Cheryl being so jealous of her spending time with someone else that she cried. That was also the only time she ever saw Cheryl cry, except for that time she fell of her bike and skinned her knee.

Toni slept over her house that night, and when they were lying in Cheryl's bed, the redhead said she had a secret to tell her.

"I'm nervous to tell you, Antoinette." Cheryl whispered and Toni held her hand. 

"You never have to be afraid to tell me anything Cheryl, you're my best friend." 

"I don't think I like boys like you do." Cheryl confessed quietly and Toni only shrugged, "I don't like them all that much either, not like how my mom loves my dad." Toni whispers back. 

"I think I'd want to marry a girl when I'm grown up." Cheryl whispered, "Maybe we could get married when we get older." she suggests shyly but glows when Toni agrees.

"I would marry you when we're older, Cheryl. We could have a family and a bunch of cats, too." Toni smiles and Cheryl blushes, "Yeah." is all Cheryl says as she snuggled up to Toni that night. 

The next morning, Cheryl's mother barged into her room and woke them up by yelling that two girls should never share a bed. "Everyone loves their best friend, but that doesn't mean you have to act on it!" she yelled, and Penelope pulled Cheryl out of bed.

Toni never forgot those words, and she's sure Cheryl hadn't either.

After that, it was harder for Toni and Cheryl to spend time together. Mrs. Blossom forbid them from seeing each other, so when Cheryl went to Toni's house, she'd always lie about where she was going. Jason helped her and always lied to their mother. 

And when Toni's parents left her alone, and her Foster Care worker tried to tell the Blossoms, Penelope pretended that she didn't know any Antoinette Topaz and sent the woman away. 

Toni never knew that though, and neither did Cheryl.

-

"Antoinette, what did you get for number four? If you even did it right..." Cheryl whispers while their teacher explains something about more group work.

Toni handed Cheryl her paper and watched her copy it. "I don't go by Antoinette anymore, my friends call me Toni." Cheryl whispers.

"Oh. So Toni, then?" Cheryl asks much more gently than before, probably because everyone else is talking and no one can hear.

"Yeah" Toni nods, " yeah you can call me Toni." Maybe she tells her she can call her Toni because she hopes the sweet Cheryl she used to know is in there somewhere, the Cheryl who used to buy her ring pops from the candy store, and go to all of her pointless middle school soccer games, and split burgers at Pop's with her when she didn't have enough. She really hopes that Cheryl is still there, because she never thought she'd get to see her again. 

When class ends, Toni looks at her schedule to try and find her next class. She doesn't realize that Cheryl lingers next to her. "Art is down the hall to the left." Cheryl explains and Toni nods. 

"Thanks. Maybe we'll have another class together." Toni tries and Cheryl shakes her head. "We don't. I checked when I gave you your schedule." she regards her kind of sadly, "But I guess I'll be seeing you around Toni."

Toni wanders to her class and goes the rest of the day without seeing Cheryl at all. Honestly, she was looking for her, and she was kind of sad she didn't see her in the halls.

She rides her bike home with Fangs and Sweet Pea, and they talk about their own days with her. They can't help but be excited to go to a school that has actual after-school programs and AP classes. Sweet Pea is already going to try out for basketball, and Toni for soccer. Fangs was never too into sports, but he'll be at all of their games if they make it. 

"Kevin said there's gonna be a new movie at the theatre tonight. We should go. For new friends and all that." Fangs says and Sweet Pea frowns. 

"I have to work tonight. But you should go, and we can both see your huge crush on Kevin, so give it up." Sweet Pea slouches on the couch next to Toni and they both laugh. 

"Come with me, Tiny? Please?" Fangs begs and makes sad eyes at Toni.

"Yeah, fine I'll come with you." she kicks her feet up on the table, "What movie is it?" Fangs throws her a soda and she catches it. 

"Love, Simon." Fangs blushes. 

"Dude, that's a gay movie, this is totally a date. Are you bringing me as a third wheel on purpose?" Toni looks to Sweet Pea, who only puts his hands up in surrender.

"No! He didn't say it was a date, so I need you there in case it sucks or it isn't a date." Fangs pouts and and Toni sighs. "Fine. But you owe me twenty bucks for snacks." she gives in. 

-

Once they get to the movies, Fangs catches up with Kevin and almost immediately ditches her. She decides to put that twenty bucks to good use and get a ridiculous amount of snacks she can eat while she spies on Fangs. 

She's pleasantly surprised to see Cheryl Blossom getting herself a drink in front of her. "You always liked cherry cola, huh." Toni tries to be friendly and Cheryl's face drops when she sees her. 

"Oh my god. What do you want? Are you following me or something?" she replies with a scowl. 

"No, Fangs made me come with him and then ditched me for Kevin." Toni scoffs, "What are you being so rude to me for? No one else is around, Cheryl. You can be yourself."

"You don't know me." Cheryl rolls her eyes and sips her cola, and Toni takes a second to reply because of how distracting it is.

"I do know you, actually. I think I probably know you better than anyone else in this town based on how they treat you." Toni steps up and decides to go for it. 

Cheryl visibly falters, her mouth opens and closes like she doesn't know what to say. Toni isn't afraid of her like everyone else, and she doesn't know what to do with that. 

"Are you okay, Cheryl?" Toni asks and it only seems to make Cheryl more upset. 

"There are a lot of things you missed, Toni. I haven't been okay for a while." Cheryl says and meets Toni's eyes. 

"Well I was gonna go grab a seat by myself...unless you want to come and catch me up." Toni suggests and Cheryl nods. "Yeah, sure." she agrees and waits while Toni buys snacks. 

They take their seats and Toni passes a box of candy, "Snowcaps for you." she says and Cheryl thanks her quietly. 

Of course Toni remembered after all this time. She blushes as she opens the candy and catches Toni looking at her. Toni averts her eyes quickly and stares down at the popcorn in her lap. 

"So Cheryl...tell me what I missed?" Toni asks, popping popcorn into her mouth and looking right into Cheryl's eyes. 

Cheryl likes that Toni isn't scared of her, that she looks her in her eyes and isn't scared to ask her anything. She missed Toni more than she'd ever even admitted to herself, especially after all that she's been through these past few years. Cheryl had come to peace with the fact that people always leave her. She just never thought one would come back. 

"A lot" Cheryl scoffs, "well you know my mother..."

"Sure do" Toni smirks and motions for Cheryl to continue.

"Well unfortunately she's still here...my father killed himself my freshman year, our family business caused horrible things to happen, and JJ...Jason is dead." A tear falls from Cheryl's face and Toni reaches out to wipe it with her thumb right away. 

"Oh, Cheryl, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I wish I could've been there for you." Toni reaches over and wraps an arm around Cheryl's shoulder. 

Cheryl accepts Toni's comfort, but holds back her tears. She hates crying, especially in front of other people. 

"It's okay." Cheryl shrugs when she pulls away. 

"It's okay if it's not." Toni says back. 

"You still have to tell me where you've been." Cheryl says and Toni shakes her head. 

"The movie's starting, I'll tell you later." Toni squeezes Cheryl's shoulder and turns her attention to the movie.

They share a few shy glances when their hands meet in the popcorn through the movie, and when Toni sees Cheryl's eyes well up at the scene where Simon's mom accepts him, she reaches places her palm face up on the arm rest, in case Cheryl wants to take it. 

She does, and squeezes it tightly. Toni knows that all Cheryl wants is to be accepted, mostly by her mother, who is actually the devil's spawn. Toni can imagine that things only got worse after Jason died, he was always their parent's favorite, and Cheryl always had to fight for their attention.

The movie ends and Cheryl stays in her seat while everyone else leaves, and Toni stays with her until she feels like leaving. 

"What did you think of the movie?" Toni asks and speaks for the first time since the movie started. 

"I wish my mother would just accept me like that." she confesses and Toni nods, "That day," Cheryl looks at her, "that day that she caught us, she called me so many evil things- she told me I'm loveless, and deviant, and unnatural." Cheryl sniffles and Toni frowns. 

"Cheryl, you have to know that your mother is wrong. You aren't any of those things. I know firsthand you aren't loveless, and if anyone is deviant, it's your mother. You are perfect just the way you are." Toni reaches to hold her hand and Cheryl meets her eyes, shock across her face. 

"You mean that?"

"Of course I do, the happy little Cheryl I grew up with is in there, I know it. You never deserved any of those things that happened to you. And I'm sorry I wasn't here for them." Toni squeezes her hand again and stands up, "Come on, I'll walk you to your car."

Cheryl reaches for Toni's hand and walks to the parking lot with her. 

They shuffle slowly to her car to make their time together last the longest, but eventually Toni turns to face her, "I had fun spending time with you tonight, Cheryl." she says and Cheryl nods. 

"Me too, I missed you Toni. A lot." she looks shyly at Toni and blushes even more when Toni leans in to kiss her cheek. 

"Goodnight, Cheryl." she whispers with a light blush on her cheeks.

For the first time since Toni has seen her, Cheryl lets a genuine smile break across her face. Cheryl then leans in and wraps her arms around Toni's shoulders for just a few seconds.

"Goodnight, Antoinette." she winks and gets in her car. 

-

A day passes, and Toni doesn't see Cheryl at school all day. She's even looking out for her all day. In their history class, she doesn't see her. At first she assumes that Cheryl just missed class that day, but then it happens again the next day. 

Toni feels awkward, but she approaches Veronica in the hallway after it happens three days in a row. 

"Hey, Veronica? You're kind of friends with Cheryl, right?" she asks and Veronica turns to her and nods.

"Yeah...I am. I don't think we've met, though." she smirks, "What's your name?"

"Umm. I'm Toni, anyway, have you heard from Cheryl at all in the past few days?" Toni ignores what sounded like Veronica hitting on her and waits for her answer. 

"Well, no actually I haven't. And she's been surprisingly silent on instagram...why do you ask?"

"I don't know, I'm just worried about her. I don't have her number to text her, and you haven't heard from her..." Toni trails off and Veronica looks at her.

"Something's definitely wrong. So what's the plan?" Veronica finishes for her. 

"Well I didn't have a plan, but I'm betting it has something to do with her evil mother." Toni says and Veronica nods. 

"It totally does. Okay come on, we're gonna go to her house and see what's going on." Veronica says and walks away, already expecting Toni to follow her. 

"Okay" Toni says to herself and rushes to follow Veronica to her car. 

They pull up outside ThornHill after a car ride of discussing where Cheryl might be and how Toni knows Cheryl.

"So how do you even know Cheryl's mom is evil?" Veronica asks as they get out of the car. 

"That's an even longer story. But hey, let me knock on the door, I can't wait to see the look on her face." 

Toni knocks loudly on the door and leans against the doorframe.

"Hello? How can I-" Penelope opens the door and scowls at Toni, "What are you doing here. I got rid of you ages ago."

"Yeah I bet you thought you did." Toni smirks, "but I'm actually here to find Cheryl. Any idea where she is?" Toni smirks and asks. 

Penelope produces and evil smirk of her own, "Cheryl decided to go off to Switzerland and work on her deviant behavior at an all-girls boarding school."

"I don't believe Cheryl left on her own. Tell me where she is." Toni confronts her and looks around inside the house behind her. She spots Cheryl's red phone case on the table. 

"Well that is the truth, goodbye Antoinette." Penelope slams the door in Toni's face. 

"I hate that bitch." Toni says and Veronica nods, "I never met her before, but I hate her now. So what do we do?" she asks.

"I saw her phone inside. She wouldn't go anywhere without it." Veronica says and Toni nods, "I saw it too."

"Her mother mentioned devious behavior. Cheryl is- well I don't know if you know, but Cheryl is, uh..." Toni doesn't want to say anything Cheryl wouldn't like. 

"totally gay. Yeah I knew that." Veronica says, "so do you think her mom actually put her at at some conversion camp?"

"I wouldn't put it past her." Toni sighs and slams the door to the car. "But we have to get her out."

"I'll call Kevin, he can drive us. I think he mentioned something about some sort of religious school before."

They call Kevin and explain the situation, and he seems to know the exact place Cheryl could be. The plan is that Veronica will go home and Kevin will pick them up and take them. Toni is just anxious to get Cheryl out of wherever she is, she's been through enough. 

It's dark out when the pull up outside the church-looking building. Toni was never fond of churches anyway. Kevin explained how he knew where the building was on the way there, and that he told his father to come get them if they aren't out in ten minutes. 

"So, what's the plan now?" Veronica asks as they walk slowly through the tunnels. 

"We check every room until we find her and get her out." Toni says back, looking around the tunnels. "I think Kevin said go straight here." she says and Veronica laughs. 

"Kevin has never gone straight." Veronica jokes and Toni chuckles.

"This is not the time for jokes." Toni scolds after they stop laughing . 

They get to the stairs and start tip-toeing down the hall. When they get to a hallway that splits, Veronica goes one way and Toni goes the other. 

Toni walks as fast as she can without making too much noise, that is until she finally sees a room with the lights on. 

"Cheryl?" She calls out, hoping she can hear something in response. She hears nothing back, "Cheryl!" she calls out again and pushes the door open. 

Cheryl thinks she's been malnourished so long that she can hear Toni calling out her name in the halls. She doesn't mean to start crying, but she feels the tears start to fall faster and faster. 

She just got Toni back in her life and now she's the one getting taken away. Even worse, her horrifying mother sent her away to the Riverdale version of a conversion camp. At this point she can't blame Toni for not realizing she's gone, she only saw her for one day before she disappeared again. 

Cheryl starts to sob when she hears Toni call out her name again, even though it isn't real. Just then, the door flies open and Cheryl flinches out of fear of a nurse until she hears her own name being called. And it's not by a nurse, it's... Toni?

"Cheryl? Are you in here?" Toni runs in and looks around the room.

"T-Toni?" she stands up and sees Toni let a deep breath out. "We came to rescue you." Toni says and Cheryl's heart flutters. 

"You did?" Cheryl gets up and runs over to Toni, who's arms are open for Cheryl to run into. Cheryl wraps her arms around Toni, who holds Cheryl's head against her shoulder. 

When they pull away Toni's arms are still around her, and when they meet each other's eyes it feels like every time they've ever gotten close to this, to finally kissing each other flashes by Cheryl's eyes. 

Toni's hand touches her face and pulls Cheryl in, finally.

Their lips finally meet and Cheryl's hands grasp at Toni's jacket. Toni brushes her cheek and scratches at the hair on the back of her neck. Cheryl's heart feels like it's about to beat right through her chest, she can't believe she finally has Toni in her arms. 

While Cheryl feels herself falling, she remembers where they are when Veronica opens the door, "Cheryl, Toni, we gotta go. There's like a million nuns chasing me down the halls." She turns and runs and Toni starts to run to follow her.

Toni feels Cheryl's hand frantically grabbing at hers and links their fingers together, "I got you, Cher. You're gonna be okay." she reaches up with other hand and holds onto Cheryl's arm. 

They rush down the hall, and down the stairs, and the whole time Cheryl holds on to Toni's hand for dear life. 

When they finally get to the car, Toni opens the door for Cheryl and guides her in the car.

Cheryl sits as close to Toni as she can and speaks up, "Thank you for coming to save me guys. I didn't think anyone would." her voice quivers and Toni presses a kiss to the side of her head. 

"It was no problem Cheryl. Really, we're just glad you're okay." Veronica says and Kevin agrees.

"Are you cold, Cheryl? Do you need my jacket, here?" Toni pulls her jacket off and places it around Cheryl's legs.

Cheryl leans into Toni's shoulder and Toni puts her arm around Cheryl, "You're okay now, Cher. I'm taking you home." Cheryl holds tightly onto Toni's shirt breathes her in. 

-

At Toni's trailer about an hour later, Cheryl Cheryl and Toni are facing each other in Toni's bed. Just like they used to all those years ago. 

"You're feeling okay, right?" Toni asks and reaches out to hold Cheryl's face.

"Yeah. I just need a good sleep and to never go back there again."

"Then you'll never go back there again. I'll make sure of it." Toni leans up and kisses Cheryl's forehead. 

Cheryl sleeps soundly for the first time in days in the comfort of Toni's arms. 

She wakes up to Toni talking to Sweet Pea and Fangs in the morning, "Be quiet! She's still asleep. Now get out and go to school."

Toni gently pokes open the door a minute or two later to see Cheryl sitting up in bed, "Hey! You're up." she jumps up on the bed and lands next to Cheryl. 

Cheryl smiles down at her and leans over to kiss her. Her hand is gentle on Toni's face and Toni's hand comes up to hold on to Cheryl's hand in response. 

"I missed you so much, Toni. All this time I needed you." Cheryl smiles, "and now you're here and I'll never let you go again."

Toni just holds Cheryl in her arms, silently promising she also won't let her go. 

-

Toni pulls up to ThornHill on her bike later that day. She knocks on the door and Penelope opens it with another eye roll. 

"Hi, me again." Toni smirks and Penelope tries to close the door but Toni sticks her foot in the door to stop it. She pushes the door wide open and Penelope stumbles into the wall behind it. 

"Here's the thing, I'm gonna go get some of Cheryl's things, and you're never going to speak to her ever again, do you understand?" Toni slams the door and Penelope jumps. She nods and Toni takes Cheryl's phone off the table on her way upstairs. 

Once she's in Cheryl's room she packs up random things she think Cheryl might need and some of her clothes. She finishes grabbing her things and walks back down the hall. 

"Antoinette? Is that you?" Toni hears from the halls and stops, "Nana Rose?"

"It is you!" the older woman smiles, "wow, you've grown."

"Yeah, I have." Toni laughs a little, "it's been a while since I've seen you."

"It has! I trust that you saved my Cheryl?"

"Yeah, yeah. She's staying with me now." Toni says and holds up the bag. 

"Better than being here." Nana says and nods approvingly. "I always wondered where you went. You were good for my grandchildren."

"I guess you can thank your daughter for that." Toni jokes and Nana Rose laughs, "I can't thank Penelope for anything." 

"You be good to Cheryl, alright?" Nana says and Toni nods, "Of course. I would never do anything to hurt her."

"I'll see you later, Nana." Toni waves and walks out of ThornHill, hoping she won't be back anytime soon. 

**Author's Note:**

> I just love these two so much...the idea of Toni knowing Cheryl as a young, happy kid with a geeky brother and then finding her again when she's closed off and hurt by the world is just *chef's kiss* Also....these two are soulmates. Period.
> 
> I'm not sure if I loove how this turned out, but here it is.
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you think!


End file.
